I realised that there was probably an article written a few years back in The Star on the same topic but hey, it’s been years and I can’t even remember what I read back then. I have never felt as strongly as I did now about the issue revolving the 1 cent coin.
During my Perth days (which to be exact, IS my days JUST 3 months ago), I’ve gotten used to the Australian system of rounding up the figure whenever I do my groceries. For instance, if the total is 9.97, I would have to pay only 9.95. But if it’s 9.98 or 9.99, I would have to pay 10.00. It’s very much easier on both the consumers and sellers although I distinctly remember a debate in the Australian media about how much more/less we had to pay because of the rounding up system. That however, is not the question of my topic here today. I’m more concerned about how the Australian government did away with the hassle of carrying 1 cent coins and how much easier and more convenient it is for consumers.
Back here in Malaysia however, is a whole different scenario. We still have our bronze 1 cent coins. Does anybody ever question the logic behind the sizes of the 1 cent and 5 cents coins? If the coin get smaller because it has lower monetary value, then shouldn’t the 1 cent coin be smaller than the 5 cents coin? Why is the 5 cents coin smaller than the 1 cent coin instead? Also, imagine the hassle of carrying so many 1 cent coins in your purse! The retails in Malaysia (and I suppose many parts of the world) are very fond of using the 99 psychology to attract and lure their consumers ie apples going for 3.99 per kg, anyone? Anyway, with so many products going off the racks at –.99, we, as the consumers, gradually find ourselves with more 1 cent coins than we could ever ask for. So, how do you get rid of the coins and lighten your purse at the same time? Try to use them all away whenever possible or whenever you remember!
But surprise, surprise! Not all establishments accept 1 cent coins. You may be able to combine them to give the value of 5 cents, 10 cents, 15 cents, etc but some establishments just refuse to accept them. Sometimes, we give off the 1 cent coins not because we were thinking of getting rid of them, but because we lack of 10 cents and we just happen to have enough of the 1 cent coins to make up 10 cents. Still, if an establishment had decided that it will not accept 1 cent coins, you find yourself rummaging your bag or purse for that lost cent until you had to give up and pay using a big note instead. And at the end of the day, you find yourself having more coins again, amongst them, the 1 cent coins.
Now, what I’m really curious about is how blatantly some establishments refused to accept the 1 cent coins. Does the 1 cent coin not have any monetary value? If not, then why is the Government still producing it every single year without fail? Another thing that struck my mind is that is it even legal or right for establishments to refuse the 1 cent coins from their customers? After all, aren’t we, the customers/consumers, paying them for their services/food/etc even if we were using 1 cent coins?
Lots of questions in my mind, but I wonder if I’ll be able to find the answers on the Internet. In the meantime, feel free to offer your opinions because I would really like to know what you think about this. By the way, don’t you think this topic is such a nice topic to bring up to debate during mamak sessions? 
